Recently my local paper, the Boston Globe, was lucky enough to explore the abandoned sections of our sometimes working subway system. As reporter Noah Bierman described it, the experience played out a lot like film noir, compete with wingtip shoes.

Anyway, we call it the T here in Boston, but to anyone else outside the city and state, you can just think of it as the oldest subway system in the U.S., because it is. One of the older stops, at Boylston Street, was built back in 1897 as part of the now abandoned Tremont Street Subway line, during a time when the streets above had become too congested. So they went underground, and history was made.

And with that 100+ year history comes all manner of dark, dank tunnels, dead ends and even strange smells, all of which are detailed to us over three pages over at the Globe this weekend. The Tremont line has long since been abandoned, the last car having run through it some time in 1961.

There's also a quick video featuring some of the more popular stops at Harvard Square, Boylston and South Boston:

Click to viewAll in all, it's got a lazy Sunday read all over it, and this Bostonian (by way of Waltham), loves that the history contained within will have me thinking a bit more the next time I stumble onto the T after a few too many in Boston proper. [The Boston Globe]